This content was produced in partnership with Gambler Media.

Congratulations to Norwich City, Watford, and Brentford for successfully navigating what might be the toughest soccer league in the world.

What was their reward for finishing first and second in the EFL Championship (Norwich City and Watford) or winning the playoffs (Brentford)? A year in the most lucrative competition in around: the Premier League.

But do not get too comfortable, fans of those three teams: your stay in the top flight could be brief.

All three of those new Premier League teams come into the 2021-22 season as the three favorites with the sportsbooks to head right back down to the Championship. The bottom three squads of the 20-team Premier League will be sent packing next May, after a 38-game campaign, and right now, the three teams that just came up have the shortest odds to be sitting at the foot of the table.

It is pretty cruel that these teams that just came into the league have odds set on them before they kick a ball for the new season, but that is the way it is. There are also some patterns to look back on over the years to see which teams that come up might have a chance to stay.

Norwich City has odds of -112 (reported by British Gambler) to be relegated, leading the way. The ultimate yo-yo team, the Canaries have been promoted a record five times since the 2003-2004 season; but three of those four campaigns in the Premier League have been one and done, ending in relegation. The odds say that Norwich will follow that pattern, and be back in the Championship for 22-23.

Watford had been in the Premier League for a while before the Hornets’ luck ran out in 2019-20. But their stay in the Championship was short: Watford navigated its 20-21 campaign well and is back in the top flight. But the books have the Hornets at even money (odds of +100) to be one of the three relegation teams, just ahead of newcomer Brentford at +110.

There is hope, though, for the newly-promoted sides. Leeds United finished in ninth place last season, narrowly missing out on a European place. Leeds was the only one of the three teams that stayed in the league of the recently promoted sides: West Bromwich Albion (19th) and Fulham (18th) were not as lucky.

Three teams that have been in the Premier League for years are the next three choices to go down, and history shows at least one of them could be worth a bet. Crystal Palace (odds of

+225), Newcastle United (odds of +225), and Burnley (odds of +250) are the teams the sportsbooks think are the next likely to get relegated, with Southampton (odds of +450), Wolves (odds of +500), and Brighton & Hove Albion (+600) longer shots to finish in the bottom three.

If we go on the last few seasons, I would say one of the three teams stays up: I would back Burnley to struggle and possibly finish in the bottom three.

If you or anyone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

More From WROK 1440 AM / 96.1 FM